The Portland daily press., 1887-09-02
FIRE AT OAK GROVE.
The Seminary Buildings Totally De-
stroyed Yesterday Morning.
One of the Students Loses His Life
In the Flames.
All the Occupants Have a Narrow
Escape from Death.
Especial to the Press.l

lEpCCidi w tuC IiSoc.J
WATERvILLE. Sept. 1.-About o'clock
this morning fire was discovered in the base
ment of Bailey Hall, the recitation and
dormitory building at Oak Grove Seminary,
the well-known and successful Friends
school located at Vassalboro, about seven
miles from Waterville and thirteen from
Augusta. A student, awaking, smelt smoke
and on investigation the fire was discovered.
He Immediately gave the alarm and Princi-
pal Charles II. Jones, who, with his family,
was sleeping in Association Hall, adjoining,
on perceiying that all attempts at check
ing the fire would be useless, at once devoted
his attention to the work of getting out the
thirty or more pupils who were asleep at
that time in Bailey Hail. The scholars,
mostly girls, sleeping on the third
and fourth floors, had barely time to
to escape with their lives, and saving moth
ing beyond the night clothes in which they
slept. In less than an hour the two elegant
structures, which were of wood, were burn
ed to the ground and for the second time in
four years Oak Grove Seminary had lost,
their buildings by fire.
Bailey Hall was built In 1885, to replace
the hall burned two years before, at cost
of over 900. Association Hall was fine
building and was valued at $4,000. The halls
were both fitted in the best manner, with all
modern conveniences. heated by steam and
finely furnished. The loss will amount to
nearly $25,000.
AS morning dawned, one of the boys
Stephen G. Jones, a nephew of the princi-
pal, was discovered to be missing, aud no
one had seen him since the fire. He un-
doubtedly persisted in the flames. His
mother and two sisters were both at the
school and are nearly frantic with grief
One lad reports that he spoke to him when
the fire was discovered and received an an
swer saying that he was all right. The
most plausible solution as to the manner in
which the fire caught is that some tramp
was sleeping in the cellar and accidentally
may have set it from his pipe, or from a
lighted match carelessly dropped. A sus-
picicus character was seen lurking about
the neighborhood early this morning and
when addressed he skulked away.
There had been no fire in the building since
last spring. The fall term of the institution
only began day before yesterday, with near
ly one hundred scholars in attendance, the
largest on record, and the school had never
started with such brilliant prospects as those
with which this term began.
The buildings were the property of the
Society of Friends, and were leased to the
principal, who ran the school on his own ac-
count. Some seven teachers were employed
Mr.. Jones's loss is very heavy, and much
sympathy is felt for him and for the family
of the poor lad who perished. Among the
contents Of the building was a small, but
very choice library of about 400 volumes.
which were the fruits of many years Gull
ing, and which cannot be replaced. About
SO tons of coal and 25 cords of wood in the
basement of Bailey Hall were also consumed.
Most Of the scholars left for their homes
this morning on the trains, the neighbors
kindly furnishing them clothes, their COM
plete wardrobes and all their money, which
was in most cases in their trunks having
been destroyed. Temporary quarters will
probably be provided shortly and the school
go on as before. 1t is not at present known
whether or not the buildings will be replaced,
but it is probable they will as there are some
wealthy men among the hackers of the in
stitution who will hardly see the school
perish here.